Governors call for flexible approach to state Marketplaces, innovation waivers

The National Governors Association this week urged federal officials to give states more flexibility with respect to Health Insurance Marketplaces and Section 1332 waivers. Among other actions, the nation’s governors asked the departments of Health and Human Services and Treasury to allow states to decouple Marketplace enrollment and eligibility functions; operate an individual Marketplace but use the federally-facilitated Small Business Health Options Program; and facilitate transitions between Marketplace models. With respect to Section 1332, which allow states to waive certain provisions of the Affordable Care Act starting in 2017, the governors urged the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to “ensure states have the flexibility and information needed to take full advantage of this opportunity.”